Euskal Oiloa Chicken Forum

A place to find out more and share what you know about this awesome rare poultry breed! **NOTE: Those who wish to register as a new member on the forum are asked to email eochickenforum@gmail.com and an Administrator will gladly help you join the forum!

Adverts

Adverts

Infertile Rooster

It seems one of my marraduna roosters is infertile or has no interest in the pullet I chose for him. Little Guy (son of Big Guy, BHR foundation Roo) is almost 2 years old. Last year he fathered chicks with several girls. This year I choose a pullet to pair mate with him and have tried 2x a month a part to collect and hatch eggs from the pair. None were fertile. I mated his pullet with another cockerel and checked eggs yesterday...they are fertile. So it is not her, it's him.

So is that it, my pretty boy is only good for soup? Or do I go to all the trouble of placing another mate with him to see if he "likes" her better?

Re: Infertile Rooster

I had that one year in my spitz that the rooster lost interest in the hens. I added the other two backup rooster to the mix and I had fertile eggs. I think my rooster at the time was moulting. I have finally separated my TPC out of the hen pen. And I have now twice witnessed a Welsummer hen breeding an EE hen?!? Maybe I can send you my Welsummer hen to show little guy how it's done!

Herd of Brown Swiss, a few sheep, red cuckoo basque, Silverspangled Appenzeller Spitzhauben, ameraucanas(EE), Welsummer, broodie silkies and a few more heritage hens

Re: Infertile Rooster

Sigh. I think you are all correct, I need to choose another girlfriend for him and try one more time. He appears in perfect health, is not molting so has no excuse there so I have my doubts he is just being picky but who knows. I will be the first to admit I do not always understand the thinking of a chicken.

Gubi...I had a tiny black pullet try to mate my head a few days ago or at least it sure seemed like thats what she was trying to do. Maybe I should put her in with him to show him how it's done!

Someone told me commercial laying ration has been proven to cause fertility problems in roosters....anyone ever heard such a thing?

Re: Infertile Rooster

I agree with what others have said and I would try him with some different girls.

Have had the same here PG. I had just put a mixed dozen EO eggs from both my breeding pens and all duds Now Kazoo is in with the same ladies as last year but they have also just started back in egg production for about 2 weeks now. I also wondered if our extra cold winter this year has anything to do with it. Michael has had a better results in my fertility tests but not great. Hoping things change soon and will test them again in another week or so. Incubators are full right now Might have to find another rooster if results are not any better!

Re: Infertile Rooster

I would think this long winter has something to do with it for sure. It's March 20 the first day of spring and we are having another snowstorm. Our snow banks are still 5-7 feet tall in places and the only places we can see ground is where we either blew snow with the snow blower or where the snow was blown away by the wind.

Herd of Brown Swiss, a few sheep, red cuckoo basque, Silverspangled Appenzeller Spitzhauben, ameraucanas(EE), Welsummer, broodie silkies and a few more heritage hens

Re: Infertile Rooster

I truly think that our strange weather has a lot to do with it. We had some nice weather in February and I set and hatched chicks. I even have a thread being very pleased with my roos fertitlity as I tried a different method of moving my new roo between two groups of breeder girls. Well I have continued the same method, same roo and the same two groups of breeder hens and his fertility has dropped significantly. I do have more eggs in the bators now so we wil see how it goes, don't give up on him yet pg.

Re: Infertile Rooster

I also have a new rooster that seems to be disinterested. I'm setting more of his eggs this week anf if they come out duds I'm giving his girls to Notorious BIG for a week or so to see if that gets them fertile again. I hope he comes around as he represents a completely new line from Greenfire Farms.

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.~Heraclitus

Re: Infertile Rooster

No better success with a different hen sadly. They have been together for about 3 weeks and no fertile eggs. He doesn't seem to be trying to mate with her so its impossible to say if he's infertile or just not interested. Just weird.

Will probably put him in with the turkeys to free up some space and then I guess he will be soup next time we process birds. Very sad as he's a good looking fella and has a nice temperament as well.

Re: Infertile Rooster

That's too bad PG.

I am still having issues here as well, mostly with Kazoo. He is trying to mate but he keeps sliding off!! Am waiting to get a new boy from Claire next weekend and have some up and coming ones in the brooder from Ambelcroft. 2.5 weeks old and I can see one boy for sure.